Violin tail-piece



F. P. SNOW VIOLIN TAIL PIECE.

(No Model.)

v Patented Nov. 12, 1889.

lNVE/VTOR E'QYLZB Sit/0w ATTORNEY UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK P. SNOlV, OF EATON, NEV HAMPSHIRE.

VIOLIN TAIL-PIECE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,923, dated November 12, 1889.

Application filed May 3, 1889. Serial No. 309,526- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK P. Snow, of Eaton, Carroll county, New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Violin Tail-Pieces, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists in a new and improved tail-piece for violins, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan View of my invention with the cover F removed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the plane indicated by line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fi 3 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cover F.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

It is a well-known fact that the strings of violins usually break near the nut, where the fingers come in contact with them in playing, and the broken string is useless if it only consists of one length. To avoid this great waste of string, a whole string consisting of several lengths is sometimes coiled about the tail-piece, and a portion of it uncoiled at each breakage to compensate for the amount broken oif; but this arrangement of two or three different coils of string about the tail-piece is unsightly, awkward, and inconvenient.

The objectof my invention is to overcome these objections, and I effect it by the construction which will now be described.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A indicates the body of my new and improved tail-piece, having in its larger part the opening or chamber B. In this chamber lie parallel to each other the metal plates 0 C 0, all of which are pivoted atone end on the same pivot-pin D The free ends of the plates C fit into recesses b, which serve to hold the said ends steady and the plates parallel to each other. These bars can be lifted up out of the chamber B, as shown in the sectional View, Fig. 2, and each plate has on its side two studs D D, having flat heads D at their free ends, so'that each plate with its studs forms a kind of bobbin, around which a string is wound in an elongated coil. To place the long string in position, one end thereof is run through a hole (1 in one stud, the plate C being raised out of the chamber B, turning on pin 1), and the string is then wound around the studs, the knotted end of the string being run through the apertured stud, so that the knot is inside the coil. The hole (1 may be dispensed with and the end of the string simply tied around the stud. After the strings are wound around their respective bobbins and the plates 0 are lowered into chamber B the strings pass out from the chamber through small channels or recesses E, and a cover F, having beveled edges, is slid in ways a over the chamber 13, covering the whole mechanism and closing the top of the end piece flush and even. The chamber B is preferablyconstructed with a bottom, as shown, to protect the strings from dust and the effects of the atmosphere.

I do not wish to limit my invention to the number of bobbins and plates 0 having the studs-here shown, as itis obvious that any number of said bobbins from one up can be used without departing from my invention. Usually three bobbins are employed, as the G or fourth string generally comes in only single lengths, this string being attached to the tail-piece by passing it through a concealed hole G and tying a knot in itsend.

It will be seen that my invention. is simple and strong in construction, very neat in appearance, and exceedingly satisfactory in use. Each string is independent of the others and any string can be put on or taken off without disturbing the others.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. The combination of the tail-piece formed with the chamber and 1'ecesses,.and the pivoted plates having the side studs, substan tially as set forth.

2. The combination of the tail-piece formed with the chamber, the recesses, and the channels, the pivoted plates having the side studs, and the slide-cover, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the tail-piece formed with the chamber, the recesses, the channels, and the opening G, the plates having the side studs, the pivot-pin, and the slide-cover, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the tail-piece formed with the chamber and the recesses, and the pivoted plates having each the studs, one of which is formed with the aperture, substantially as set forth.

FRANK P. SNOWY Titnesses:

JAMES BROWN, DAN. R. PATTERSON. 

